TO RICHARD HENRY LEE.

[Ms., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

Boston Jany 1 1778

MY DEAR SIR

I had the Pleasure of receiving your Letter dated
at York the 23d of
Novr last, which mentions your having before written
to me by a young
Gentn Capt Romane who was to pass through this Place
in his Return to
France. That Letter has not yet come to Hand.
I shall regard all your
Recommendations with the utmost Respect.

Our military Affairs in the middle Department are
in such a Situation as to afford us too much Reason
to be chagrind. We have indeed sufferd no shameful
Defeats, but a promising Campaign has however ended
ingloriously. To what are we to attribute it?
I believe to a miserable Set of General Officers.
I mean to make some Exceptions. For the Sake
of our Country, my dear Friend, let me ask, Is our
Army perpetually to be an unanimated one; because
there is not Fortitude enough to remove those bad
Men. I remember the Factions in Carthage which
prevented her making herself the Mistress of the World.
We may avoid Factions and yet rid our Army of idle
cowardly or drunken officers. How was Victory
snatchd out of our Hands at German Town! Was not
this owing to the same Cause? And Why was only
one General officer dischargd? Was it because
there were just Grounds to suspect only one? Is
there not Reason to fear that our Commander in Chief
may one day suffer in his own Character by Means of
these worthless Creatures? May he not suffer
under the Reputation of an unfortunate Commander, than
which I think he cannot suffer a greater Evil.
It is difficult to seperate from the Minds of the
People the Idea of unfortunate from that of the Want
of some necessary soldierly Quality. At best
the unfortunate General has Pity only as the Reward
of his Services; and how soon does Pity degenerate
into Contempt. Cicero if I mistake not some where
tells us, that when a General is fortunate it matters
not whether it is ascribd to his being a Favorite
of the Immortal Gods, or to certain good Qualities
in him which others are incapable of observing.
His Soldiers will encounter every Danger under his
Conduct. His Enemies will be confounded at his
Approach. His Country will revere him. The
Reverse is equally just. As therefore we regard
the Reputation of the Comdr in Chief of our Armies,